NATURE Mug, Leaves

At a glance

- Hasami-yaki (波佐見焼), Nagasaki Prefecture; by Kihara (キハラ), Arita
- Some-nishiki (染錦): blue gosu hand-painted before firing, red overglaze hand-painted after; two firings
- Approx. 300ml; wide ergonomic handle; hand-wash only

The mug that makes you look twice.

NATURE uses some-nishiki, a two-firing painting technique in which the same leaf motif is painted twice: once in gosu cobalt blue (underglaze, fired first) and once in akae red (overglaze, fired second). The result is a pattern with genuine visual depth the blue and red layers sit at different distances from the eye, creating a three-dimensional quality that catches the light differently at different angles. It is one of the more technically demanding processes in Japanese porcelain.

The mug is made in Hasami in a slightly larger-than-standard format (approximately 300ml) with a comfortable, balanced handle. It is a mug made for proper morning use: a double espresso, a full cup of coffee with milk, a large green tea.

For those who find most mugs forgettable, this is the exception.

Made in Hasami, Nagasaki Prefecture. Hand-wash only.